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(Guardian (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Thief PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One & PC:
Taking place entirely at night in a shadowy mock-Victorian city, your job as Garrett the master thief is to line your pockets while helping free the populace from oppression. Thief has much in common with Dishonored, from its preference for subtlety and non-lethality over violence to its beautiful, functional architecture. Although Thief tends to be slightly less open-ended, there's still a lot left up to you, so you can choose your own route through sprawling streets, rooftops and conveniently man-sized ventilation pipes, helped by special arrows that let you douse torches, distract or disorientate guards and, of course, spear them through the head. The game's thoughtful pace still creates tension - picking locks before a patrolling guard spots you; ducking into shadows without disturbing a napping guard dog - along with the ever-present friction between staying undetected and a desire to steal absolutely everything. nick gillett
Square Enix, PS4 & Xbox One, pounds 47.99; PS3 & Xbox 360, pounds 37.99; PC, pounds 27.99
Titanfall beta Xbox One & PC
Created by refugees from the studio behind the better Call Of Duties, Titanfall is an antidote to the ennui descending around the annual entries in the cashcow franchise. Although not due out for a couple of weeks, the beta provided a glimpse of the high explosive joy to come. Rather than soldiers, you play as a pilot, initially left to run about the game's beautifully dilapidated cityscapes on foot, picking off enemy pilots and their support troops. Once a timer runs out you can call down a titan, a house-sized walking tank with interchangeable armaments and a force field, into which you climb and start unleashing electric death. The unique ebb and flow the titans bring to battles, and the beautifully orchestrated wall runs and rocket-powered double jumps the pilots perform, make this a spectacular and breathless experience quite unlike current, suddenly prosaic-looking GI simulators. ng
Xbox One & PC, free for Xbox Live Gold members
(c) 2014 Guardian Newspapers Limited.